Removal of vanadium and/or sodium from petroleum and petroleum products with fuller&#39;s earth



REMOVAL 3F VANADIUM AND/R SQDIUM FROM PETROLEUM AND PETROLEUM PRGDUCTS WETH FULLERS EARTH Frederick Wiiii'tm Eertram Porter and Roy iurdy Northcott, Sunbury-on-Thamcs, Middlesex, England, assignors to The British Petroleum Company Limited, a British joint-stock corporation No Drawing. Application June 16, 1953, Serial No. 362,145

Claims priority, application Great Britain June 18, 1952 2 Claims. (Cl. 196-35) This invention relates to the removal of vanadium and/or sodium from petroleum and petroleum products.

in the complete specification of the co-pending application No. 1029/51 there was described a process in which vanadium and/or sodium is/are removed from petroleum or petroleum products by contact with bauxite in the presence or absence of hydrogen and under conditions of temperature and pressure such that the vanadium and/or sodium is/are deposited on or incorporated with the bauxite. It was later discovered that the degree of vanadium and/or sodium removal under any given set of operating conditions tended to vary with bauxites of different origins.

It has now been found that vanadium and/or sodium in petroleum or petroleum products can be removed by treatment with fullers earth.

According to the invention therefore, a process for removing vanadium and/or sodium from crude petroleum or a petroleum product comprises contacting the crude petroleum or petroleum product with fullers earth, in the presence of hydrogen and under conditions of temperature and pressure such that vanadium and/or sodium is/ are deposited on the fullers earth.

The preferred ranges of operating conditions for the process are as follows:

Space velocity v./v./hr 0.5 to 2.0 Temperature F 750 to 800 Pressure p. s. i. ga 500 to 1500 Hydrogen recycle rate S. C .F./B 1000 to 10,000

The process of the invention is particularly adaptable as a pretreatment process for crude petroleum or petroleum products which are to be passed to a catalytic hydrogenation process for the removal of organically combined sulphur. For example, it has been found that in the hydrofining of crude petroleum and petroleum residues using a catalyst consisting of cobalt and molybdenum oxides supported on alumina, substantial proportions of vanadium and sodium are removed by and deposited on the catalyst and this deposition causes a steady decline in catalyst activity with hours on stream which is not wholly recovered on regeneration in the conventional manner. The invention, therefore, also includes a continuous process wherein a petroleum feedstock containing vanadium and/ or sodium is first treated with fullers earth as above described, and is then passed to a hydrogenation zone for the removal of organically combined sulphur.

An example of the application of the invention to the treatment of a petroleum residue will now be given.

EXAMPLE Sodium and vanadium removal from Kuwait 53% volume residue.

Conditions employed:

Feedstock Kuwait 5 3 vol.

residue Space velocity v./v./hr 1.0 Temperature F 780 Pressure p. s. i. ga 1000 Hydrogen recycle rate S. C. F./B 4000 Direction of flow Upward Duration of test hours Results obtained:

Pelleted fullers earth Product Feedstock (Bulk over 0 hrs.)

Vanadium, p. p. m 41 27 Sodium, p. p. m 39 33 Sulphur, percent Wt 3.89 3. 24 Specific Gravity, 60 F./60 F 0.958 0. 940

We claim:

1. A process for removing vanadium and sodium from a crude petroleum feedstock comprising contacting the petroleum feedstock with a contact material consisting of fullers earth at a space velocity in the range of about 0.5 to 2.0 v./v./hr. in the presence of hydrogen, and at a temperature within the range of about 750 800 F., and at a pressure in the range of about 500-1500 p. s. i. ga. whereby the vanadium and sodium are deposited on the fullers earth.

2. A process according to claim 1, comprising subsequently passing the treated feedstock to a hydrogenation zone for the removal of organically combined sulphur.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dorrer May 3, 1938 Bent et al. Feb. 8, 1944 

1. A PROCESS FOR REMOVING VANADIUM AND SODIUM FROM A CRUDE PETROLEUM FEEDSTOCK COMPRISING CONTACTING THE PETROLEUM FEEDSTOCK WITH A CONTACT MATERIAL CONSISTING OF FULLER''S EARTH AT A SPACE VELOCITY IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.5 TO 2.0 V./V./HR. IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN, AND AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 750*-800* F., AND AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 500-1500 P. S. I. GA. WHEREBY THE VANADIUM AND SODIUM ARE DEPOSITED ON THE FULLER''S EARTH. 